(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the detection of real-world contexts, activities and the like by processing of multi-channel signal streams produced by a set of sensors.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Development is underway of a new generation of devices that are equipped with sets of sensors enabling various conditions of the device's functioning, environment, internal state, use or interactions to be measured and, most often, recorded. Devices of this kind range from mobile electronic devices (e.g. portable telephones, laptop computers, PDAs, etc) to so-called “intelligent clothing”, from autonomous robots to furniture. The signals from each sensor form a signal stream that is extended over a time period, and the set of all the sensor signals constitutes a multi-channel sensor-signal stream.
By analyzing the multi-channel sensor-signal stream relating to a particular time period it is sometimes possible to detect the occurrence of particular contexts (or activities, internal states, interactions, etc.) that have occurred in relation to the device over that time period. Amongst other things, this event-detection can make it possible for a device to adapt its functionality to the particular context in which it finds itself (i.e. the device can be “context-aware”).